Shell-mounted broom or similar brush-wear article



March 25. 1969' -r 3,434,176

SHELL-MOUNTED BROOM OR SIMILAR BRUSH-WEAR ARTICLE Filed Aug. '2, 1967Sheet of 2 LJQAJ HVVENTM BERNARD cnzEr 'MMMW W SHELL-MOUNTED BROOM ORSIMILAR BRUSH-WEAR ARTICLE Filed Aug. 7, 1967 Sheet 3 of 2 42 4 2 48 8fZgr/O 45 44 Egg 'm l8 1 INVENTOR BERNBRD cnzer *mmw United StatesPatent Int. Cl. A46b 3708; A46d 3/00 US. Cl. 177 7 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A broom construction includes two shell portions whichare fitted together by aligning and interengaging projections on oneportion into recesses on another and they are held together by a snapfit of a projection of one portion into a female receiving portion onthe other. The shell portions together define a socket for receiving ahandle at one end and a recess or skirt portion for receiving a bundleof fibers in the opposite end. The fibers are held in position byprojecting teeth which are defined in two separate longitudinally spacedrows within the skirt portion, the rows of teeth being offset so as toengage the fibers in a manner such that they can fan out. The assemblyis either locked by an encircling collar extending over the socketportion of the shells or by C-shaped securing clips which fit intorecesses defined on each end of the shells or by a combination of both,and in some instances, by the addition of an encircling band around theexterior of the skirt portions.

This invention relates to a broom or similar brush-wear article whereina bundle or pack of bristles, fibres, or strands is maintained betweentwo assembled mating shells. The present invention aims at providingsuch shells having a configuration which allows the broom to beassembled easily and rapidly, while the pack of bristles is maintainedafter assembling under optimum conditions as far as tightness and firmgrip are concerned, in spite of the stresses acting on the broom whenused.

It is an object of the invention to provide for high speed manufactureon an industrial scale of a broom or similar article of the above type,resulting in a high quality product, due to instantaneous assembling ofthe two shells by centering and fastening the same with respect to eachother while said shells after assembling firmly maintain the bundle ofbristles.

It is another object of the invention to provide for the safe assemblyof the two shells, and for protection of the shells against deformationby arranging stiffening webs on each one of said two shells, and byproviding a collar which surrounds the portion of the two half-shellsconstituting a socket for accommodating the broomstick, and whichencircles said stiffening webs.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a broom or brushhaving a bundle of vegetable fibres, such as rice-straw, sorghum, andthe like, which is not subject to the drawback resulting frommouldering, contrary to brooms or brushes manufactured by conventionalmethods, which are often subject to such mouldering initiated in thecentral portion of the fibre bundle.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a broom wherein thebundle of bristles is efficiently maintained between the assembledhalf-shells due to the provision of rows of teeth or wedges in the skirtof said half-shells, which teeth or wedges penetrate the fibre bundle.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as thedescription hereinafter proceeds with 3,434,176 Patented Mar. 25, 1969reference to the accompanying drawings which show several exemplaryembodiments of the invention without limiting the scope thereof to theparticular examples shown and described.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a broom according to the invention,with several parts torn away.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one of the halfshells used inmanufacturing such broom.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a collar for maintaining theportions of the half-shell which constitute a socket adapted to receivethe broomstick.

FIG. 4 is an axial cross-sectional view of the broom of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 2, showing anotherembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is an axial cross-sectional view of the broom of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a sectional broom of the clamping arrangement for assemblingthe sides of the half-shell according to FIG. 5.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are sectional views showing the interlocking feature ofthe half-shells, and

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of a bundle offibres assembled prior to assembling the half-shells.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 the broom comprises a bundle 1 of rice-straw,sorghum, or similar fibres, or bristles, maintained between twohalf-shells which, when assembled, form a sleeve or socket 3 and a skirt2. Preferably the half-shells are made of a thermoplastic material suchas polystyrene Super. Each half-shell comprises at its upper end asemi-cylindrical half-socket 4 connected to the skirt portion 2 bysymmetrical planar stiffening webs 5.

Arranged on the inner walls of each half-shell are a male and femaleattaching means 9 and 8 respectively, the attaching means of eachhalf-shell being complementary to the mating attaching means of theother half-shell, said attaching means being adapted to be clamped orhooked to each other when subjected to pressure, due to the elasticityof the material. This is achieved by the provision on each attachingmeans, or member, of at least one oblique surface 27 allowing for easypenetration into the complementary member, while a locking surface 28allows the two complementary members to be locked to each other.Furthermore, centering means 7a and 7b are provided, the centeringmember 7a having a hole and being complementary to the centering means7b which comprise a mating punch-like portion. The inner wall of eachhalf-shell is also provided with a transverse rib 12 extending over theentire width or over part of the width of the half-shell and serving asan abutment adapted to be contacted by the end of the fibre bundle.

Any convenient number of attaching and centering members may beprovided. Instead of being of the pin point type shown in FIG. 2 theymay be of the linear type shown in FIG. 5. In this latter embodiment theattaching and centering members are constituted by transverse plates37a, 37b projecting from the inner wall of the half-shell and havingtheir free ends 38a, 38b formed into locking hooks extending in oppositedirections as shown in FIG. 6. In the embodiment of FIG. 5 the centeringmembers are constituted by plates 39a, 39b adapted to be applied uponeach other as shown in FIG. 6, when the broom is assembled.

It should be noted that the provision of the centering and attachingmembers shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 at the same time increases the rigidityof the Wall of the halfshells and allows for positive fastening over asubstantial portion of the width of said half-shells, whereby the trendto gaping of the half-shells is eliminated when mounting thefibre-bundle.

The webs 5 constitute planar bearing surfaces which prolong or continuethe sides 23, 24. One of the webs may be provided with punches 25 whilethe other web has mating holes so as to provide for greater accuratenessof the assembly of the two half-shells. Furthermore, the edges '16, 17or 18, 19 may be provided with interlocking profiles as shown in FIGS. 5and 6.

The socket 4 adapted to receive the broomstick has a slightly taperingshape. During the assembling of the two half-shells a sleeve or collar13 provided with a stiffening rib constituting an abutment, is mountedon the socket 4; the collar has lateral slots 14, the length of whichcorresponds to the length of the ribs constituted on the sides of socket4 by webs 5.

The skirt 2 advantageously comprises external ribs 20 and 22 betweenwhich a belt 21 is placed for clamping this portion of the assembledhalf-shells together.

The skirt furthermore may be provided with a plurality of convenientlyspaced perforations adapted to receive clamping members, assemblingstaples or similar assembling members with a view to improving theintegral connection between the fibre bundle and the skirt. Theaforementioned assembling members are masked by the belt 21.

The half-shells are also provided with projections arranged adjacent thelower end of the shells and adapted to improve the holding of the fibrebundle; these projections may have any desired convenient shape; theymay be constituted, for example, by rows of teeth 10, 11 which arepreferably shifted with respect to each other (FIG. 2), or by relativelyshifted pointed stubs 40, 42 (cf. FIG. 5) defining between them a planarportion 41, 43; this arrangement allows for easy penetration of thepointed stubs into the fibre bundle. In the embodiment of FIG. 5 thestubs 42 of the top row have smaller dimensions than those of the stubs40 forming the lower row; thus, the smaller stubs will more readilypenetrate the upper end portion of the assembled fibre bundles.

The assembly of the two half-shells may be improved, as shown in FIG. 7,by clamping the lateral portions of the half-skirts together by means ofclamps of the buttstrap type the edges 47 of which match correspondinggrooves 48 formed on the half-shells. These clamps may be put into placeby a simple sliding motion, and they are maintained in their properposition by belt 21.

The assembling of the broom is carried out in the following manner: Thefibre-bundle is formed by stitching or clamping the bristles together,or by tightly mounting the bristles between two rod members 44 (cf. FIG.10) the upper end portion 45 being then immerged in a gluing substancemaintained in the liquid state by heating and capable of easysolidification, such substance being, for instance, a polyethylene basedcomposition. The fibre bundle is then introduced between the twohalf-shells with its end abutting the internal ribs or plates 12 (of.FIG. 2) or 37a, 37b, cf. FIG. 5), while the centering members havepreviously been brought into register. The half-shells are then simplypressed against each other, for example by means of a press, so as toachieve the mutual penetration of the complementary attaching means, asshown in FIGS. 4 and 6.

A perfectly integral assembly is achieved either by this pressure,provided the edges 23, 24 and the webs 5 have been previously coatedwith a convenient adhesive; or by a convenient welding process forconnecting the respective portions of plastic material which constitutesaid edges and webs.

If this assembling step is carried out immediately after theimpregnation of the fibre bundle upper end the teeth 42 are in contactwith the above-mentioned gluing substance while the latter solidifies,whereby an excellent integral assembly is achieved.

In case the fibre bundle is only assembled by a stapling process or thelike, the penetration of teeth 42 will also achieve a satisfactoryintegral assembly.

With a view to improving the rigidity of the assembly constituted by thetwo half-shells the clamps 46 may be mounted by a simple sliding motion.

Collar '13 is then mounted on socket 4 and belt 21 is put in placebetween ribs 20 and 22.

It is apparent from the above description that the novel broom can bemanufactured by a process comprising very simple steps which can becarried out by mechanical means using conventional machinery, while saidmanufacturing process provides a broom having assembled halfshells whichconstitute a perfectly integral assembly due to the joint effects of theinterior attaching means, the attachment at the periphery of the shells,the clamping effect of the collar and the belt, the novel broomfurthermore exhibiting excellent properties of tightness due to thegluing or welding of the half-shells at their mating assemblingsurfaces.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendent advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention, or sacrificing any of its material advantages, the formshereinbefore described being merely preferred embodiments thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A brush comprising first and second substantially symmetrical halfshell portions joined together and defining an embracing skirt portionopening at one end for receiving a bundle of fibers and a socket portionopening at an opposite end for receiving a broom stick, male engagementmeans on said first shell portion projecting outwardly from the interiorthereof, female socket means on said second shell portion engaged withsaid male projecting portion in a snap-fit, each of said first andsecond shell portions including a laterally extending stiffening webdefined on each side adjacent the juncture of said socket portion andsaid skirt portion, and a cylindrical collar fitted over said socketportion and having an elongated slot defined on each side thereofthrough which the stiifening web portions of each of said first andsecond portions extend.

2. A brush comprising first and second substantially symmetrical halfshells defining together an embracing skirt portion opening at one endfor receiving a bundle of fibers and a socket portion opening at theopposite end for receiving a broom stick, each shell having inner wallswith at least one complementary centering projection and recess whichare interengaged for aligning said half shell portions together and atleast one complementary attaching means projecting from thecorresponding interior surfaces of said first and second shell portionswhich are interengaged to hold said shell portions together, each ofsaid first and second shell portions having an exterior first ribextending therearound adjacent said one end and a second rib at a spacedlocation from and parallel to said first rib, and an encircling beltdisposed between said first and second ribs and around said skirtportion.

3. A brush comprising first and second substantially symmetrical halfshell portions arranged in juxtaposition and defining a lower skirtportion having an opening at one end for receiving a bundle of fibersand an upper cylindrical socket portion having an opening at theopposite end for receiving a handle, each shell portion having aplurality of projections some of which include projecting hook elementsand some of which include receiving recesses, a lateral stiffening webdefined between said skirt portion and said socket portion on each ofsaid first and second shell portions, one of said first and second shellportions having a projection on said webs and the other having a recesson said webs for receiving the projection for aligning the two partstogether, an abutment defined at the inner end of said skirt portion, abundle of bristles clamped together and disposed in said skirt portionup to said abutment, means projecting inwardly from said skirt portionsof said first and second shells engaged in said bundle of bristles, anencircling belt extending around said skirt portion and holding saidskirt portion together, and a cylindrical collar fitted over said socketportion and including a slot extending upwardly from the lower end ofeach side thereof for receiving said web of each of said first andsecond shells.

4. A brush comprising first and second substantially symmetrical halfshells defining together an embracing skirt portion opening at one endfor receiving a bundle of fibers and a socket portion opening at theopposite end for receiving a broom stick, each shell having inner Wallswith at least one complementary centering projection and recess whichare interengaged for aligning said half shell portions together and atleast one complementary attaching means projecting from thecorresponding interior surfaces of said first and second shell portionswhich are interengaged to hold said shell portions together, each ofsaid first and second shell portions defining an interior abutment at aspaced location from the opening at said one end, a bundle of fibershaving an inner end extending into said skirt portion up to saidabutment, at least two rows of teethlike projections which engage intosaid fibers, the row of said teethlike projections of one of said halfshells being offset from the row of said teethlike projections of theother of said half shells, and a clamping collar engaged around saidhalf shells holding them together with said projections engaged in saidfibers.

5. A brush comprising first and second substantially symmetrical halfshell portions defining together an embracing skirt portion opening atone end for receiving a bundle of fibers and a socket portion opening atthe opposite end for receiving a broom stick, each shell having innerwalls with at least one complementary centering projection and recesswhich are interengaged for aligning said half shell portions togetherand at least one complementary attaching means projecting from thecorresponding interior surfaces of said first and second shell portionswhich are interengaged to hold said shell portions together, each ofsaid first and second shell portions having an exterior surface withcomplementary rounded end portions terminating in a recess portion ateach end of said rounded end portions, each of said shell skirt portionshaving at least two longitudinally spaced rows of fiber engaging teethwhich project inwardly toward the corresponding row of the teeth of theopposite shell skirt portion, the teeth of one of said rows being offsetfrom the other so that the teeth engage into said fibers and permitfanning out of said fibers and a substantially C-shaped clamp memberhaving a curved central portion engaged around the complementary roundedends of said first and second portions and having an inwardly projectingportion at each end which is engaged in a respective recess at the endof the rounded ends of said first and second shell portions.

6. A brush, according to claim 1, wherein each of said half shellportions has an exterior surface with complementary rounded end portionsterminating in a recess at each end of said rounded end portions, and asubstantially C-shaped clamp member having a curved central portionengaged around the complementary rounded ends of said first and secondportions and having an inwardly projecting portion at each end which isengaged in a respective recess at the end of the rounded ends of saidfirst and second shell portions.

7. A brush according to claim 1, wherein each of said half shellportions has at least two longitudinally spaced rows of fiber engagingteeth which project inwardly from the interior toward the correspondingrow of teeth of the opposite shell portion, the teeth of one of saidrows being oifset from the teeth of the other of said rows to provideprojections which engage into said fibers and permit fanning out of saidfibers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,171,161 2/1916 Wingender 15-1501,169,815 2/1916 Heckman 15177 1,191,758 7/1916 Beebe et al. 15-1771,644,738 10/1927 Marr 15192 2,407,457 9/1946 Sokoloif 15-177 2,860,36111/1958 Moody 15176XR 2,864,115 12/1958 Champlin 15--177 XR 2,975,0043/1961 Safianoff 15l47 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 958,768 9/1949 France.

569,705 11/1957 Italy.

260,056 7/ 1949 Switzerland.

PETER FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. XR

(5,69) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,434,176 Dated March 25, 1969 Inventor(s) Bernard Cazet It is certifiedthat e rror appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPaten t are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 7, the priority date should read "August 12, 1966" SIGNEDM0 SEALED SEP 2 I969 (SEAL) Attest:

M Fletche J E. Attesting Officer Comissione-r of Paton"

